Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning: specifications and photos

Any country that has access to the sea or the ocean, is simply obliged to keep on balance the navy, whose main task is to protect the shoreline and territorial waters. China was not an exception in this issue either - the state, which is currently one of the fastest growing both economically and militarily. The incipient superpower makes the first steps in the development of an aircraft carrier fleet, which is confirmed by the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning - so far the only one of its kind, a battle ship of the Celestial Empire.

Historical reference

A ship called "Varyag" after the collapse of the USSR inherited Ukraine. Its construction was stopped in 1998. As a result, the PRC bought this cruiser for 25 million US dollars. The Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning" was towed to the coast of the country for several years. This turn of events is explained by the fact that at the beginning of sixteen months the ship went through the Black Sea because of Turkey's disagreement to let it pass through the Bosporus Strait. All this time there were negotiations. In November 2001, after passing the straits, the aircraft carrier was captured by the elements - the strongest storm. As a result, there was a loss of control over the vessel, but after three days the aircraft carrier was again managed by the sailors.

Since the Suez Canal does not provide for the passage of ships without the presence of power engines, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning was forced to bypass the African continent through Gibraltar. It is worth noting that the ship moved two tugs. And the average speed of traffic was only 11 kilometers per hour, and the total length of the route is about 28,000 kilometers. Eventually the ship was in China on March 3, 2002.

Re-equipment

The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning was moved to dry dock in 2005, where it was completed and modernized with the latest technology for the next six years. During these operations, its hull was cleaned by sandblasting and was painted.

Three years later the ship was already in another dock, where it was installed engines and heavy equipment. The newest radars, armament, and mines for anti-ship missiles of the Granit system were also delivered.

In June 2011, Chief of Staff Chen Bingde officially announced that the ship would be in the ranks precisely as an aircraft carrier. However, the general also noted the use of the vessel as a training and experimental base, which will serve in the future to help in the construction of aircraft carriers already of Chinese production.

In August 2011, the ship conducted a four-day test running gear. In the middle of the month he returned to the port, where he stayed until November 29. In the period from December 2011 to July 2012, the aircraft carrier took up and landing helicopters, checking weapons. It is noteworthy that the aircraft did not land .

Enrollment in the Navy

The Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning" (Liaoning cv 16) Became the official combat unit on September 25, 2012, and this despite the fact that the aircraft never before had touched its deck.

On November 25, 2012, it became known about the first successful landing of J-15 fighters on the ship.

Specifications

The Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning", whose photo is shown below, is created with the following parameters:

• Displacement - 59500 tons.
• The length is 304 and a half meters.
• The width is 38 meters.
• The ship's draft is 10.5 meters.
• The vessel's power is 4 × 50,000 horsepower
• The speed of movement is 29 knots (about 54 kilometers per hour).
• The range of navigation can reach 8000 nautical miles.
• The crew consists of 1980 people, of whom officers - 520.

Ship Arms

Onboard the Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning" cv 16 is:

• Anti-aircraft artillery: Type 1130, 3 × 11 × 30 mm.
• Rockets: launchers FL-3000N, 3 × 18-chargers.
• Anti-submarine protection: two twelve-digit installations of unknown type.
• Aviation: twenty-four Shenyang J-15 fighters, four Z-18 long-range radar detectors, six Z-18F anti-submarine helicopters, a pair of Z-9C search and rescue helicopters.

Expert opinion

"Liaoning," as military experts say, has rather weak weapons systems. Judging objectively, this ship is able to protect itself only from a very small group of attacking ships. To fully implement the tasks assigned to him, "Liaoning" needs constant presence next to him with impressive protection. At the same time, he is able to carry a larger number of aircraft and ammunition than his closest counterpart in the form of the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. Experts say that, in essence, the aircraft carrier of the Chinese army is the best weapon for attacking and attacking, because it is designed for a long enough autonomous campaign and is capable of delivering combat aircraft almost anywhere in the world for the performance of subsequent combat and reconnaissance missions.

"Trekking" to Syria

AT Port of Tartus moored the Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning"! It was such a sensational news that was one of the most discussed in the fall of 2015. According to many world media, this warship passed the Suez Canal on September 22 and entered the Syrian water area. As it was said in many reports, this cruise of the ship was connected with its connection to the antiterrorist operation conducted by the Russian Federation against the so-called "Islamic state". However, some time later, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Hua Chuning said in the press that the Celestial Empire did not send and does not plan to send "Liaoning" to Syria. Moreover, the vessel, as before, is used exclusively for scientific purposes only. It should also be noted that China adheres to a position that is based on the self-determination of the Syrian people. Thus, the headlines of printed publications that the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning moored in the port of Tartus, Turned out to be nothing more than a regular journalistic "duck", which has nothing to do with reality.

An indirect confirmation of the veracity of the words of Chinese top leaders can also be the words of Professor Zhang Junshe of the Naval Academy of China who pointed to the presence in the Middle East region of a special detachment to fight pirates.

I am sure that the Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning" in Tartus And the Russian expert of the Center for Analysis of Technologies and Strategies Vasiliy Kashin. According to him, the ship is training, so it can not be detached to the place of military operations. And if China really wanted to intervene in the Syrian conflict, it would most likely send ships like Project 071 to fight terrorists. Although everyone understands that the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning in Tartous is nonsense, because the Chinese leadership took a position of waiting for the situation in Syria.

Ambitions of the People's Republic of China

The Ministry of Defense of the world's largest country has officially confirmed that the construction of the second aircraft carrier has begun. The representative of the department, Yang Yujun, said that this ship was fully developed by Chinese specialists. Construction of the vessel takes place in the port of Dalian (Liaoning Province).

He also informs that the displacement of the new combat unit will be within 50 thousand tons. Its operation is planned for the transportation of fighter jets of type J-15.

Ship Features

So, where is the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, we have more or less figured out. Now we need to deal with its aircraft and technical equipment. It almost completely preserved the elements that were originally laid in it by the original Soviet project 11435, namely:

• Springboard (no catapult).
• Three positions for starting with retractable retarders and gas deflector shields.
• Optical landing system.
• Four airfreighters cable with brake machines with hydraulic drive.

The post of the head of landing on the American model is installed on the left edge of the flight deck in the stern of the ship. Sailors serving in the deck divisions of Liaoning are also dressed like their American counterparts. Judging by the color scheme of the uniforms of Chinese sailors, the form is copied completely.